Garment system including at least one muscle or joint activity sensor and at least one actuator responsive to the sensor and related methods

ABSTRACT

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a garment system including at least one muscle or at least one joint activity sensor, and at least one actuator that operates responsive to sensing feedback from the at least one muscle or the at least one joint activity sensor to cause a flexible compression garment to selectively compress against or selectively relieve compression against at least one body part of a subject. Embodiments disclosed herein also relate to methods of using such garment systems.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of the earliest availableeffective filing date(s) from the following listed application(s) (the“Priority Applications”), if any, listed below (e.g., claims earliestavailable priority dates for other than provisional patent applicationsor claims benefits under 35 USC § 119(e) for provisional patentapplications, for any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent,etc. applications of the Priority Application(s)).

Priority Applications:

For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the presentapplication constitutes a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 14/469,169, entitled GARMENT SYSTEM INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE MUSCLE ORJOINT ACTIVITY SENSOR AND AT LEAST ONE ACTUATOR RESPONSIVE TO THE SENSORAND RELATED METHODS, naming Jesse R. Cheatham, III; Roderick A. Hyde;Muriel Y. Ishikawa; Jordin T. Kare; Eric C. Leuthardt; Nathan P.Myhrvold; Elizabeth A. Sweeney; Clarence T. Tegreene; Charles Whitmer;Lowell L. Wood, Jr.; and Victoria Y.H. Wood as inventors, filed 26 Aug.2014, which is currently co-pending or is an application of which acurrently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of thefiling date.

If the listings of applications provided above are inconsistent with thelistings provided via an ADS, it is the intent of the Applicant to claimpriority to each application that appears in the DomesticBenefit/National Stage Information section of the ADS and to eachapplication that appears in the Priority Applications section of thisapplication.

All subject matter of the Priority Applications and of any and allapplications related to the Priority Applications by priority claims(directly or indirectly), including any priority claims made and subjectmatter incorporated by reference therein as of the filing date of theinstant application, is incorporated herein by reference to the extentsuch subject matter is not inconsistent herewith.

If an Application Data Sheet (ADS) has been filed on the filing date ofthis application, it is incorporated by reference herein. Anyapplications claimed on the ADS for priority under 35 U.S.C. §§ 119,120, 121, or 365(c), and any and all parent, grandparent,great-grandparent, etc. applications of such applications, are alsoincorporated by reference, including any priority claims made in thoseapplications and any material incorporated by reference, to the extentsuch subject matter is not inconsistent herewith.

BACKGROUND

Compression garments including clothing articles, such as socks, armsleeves, leg sleeves, etc., can provide support to muscles of a bodypart on which the compression garments are worn. This support can beuseful for people who have to stand for long periods, or people withcirculation problems.

Compression sportswear, which is a specific type of compression garment,can also be worn by athletes during exercise. For example, bicyclingshorts are a common type of compression sportswear. Compressionsportswear can improve muscle functioning, and prevent chafing andrashes during and after exercise.

Compression garments are believed to have a number of positive effectson a user. For example, compression garments can help relieve pain frommuscle stiffness and soreness, and reduce time taken for muscles torepair themselves. Also, when an appropriate amount of compression isused, compression garments can improve venous return and oxygenation toworking muscles.

SUMMARY

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a garment system including atleast one muscle or at least one joint activity sensor, and at least oneactuator that operates responsive to sensing feedback from the at leastone muscle or the at least one joint activity sensor to cause a flexiblecompression garment to selectively compress against or selectivelyrelieve compression against at least one body part of a subject. Suchselective compression or relief of compression against the at least onebody part can improve muscle functioning, joint functioning, or can beused for training or teaching an activity (e.g., a sport) or forrehabilitation.

In an embodiment, a garment system includes at least one flexiblecompression garment configured to be worn on at least one body part of asubject, one or more activity sensors supported by the at least oneflexible compression garment, one or more actuators positioned relativeto the at least one flexible compression garment and configured to causethe at least one flexible compression garment to selectively compressagainst or selectively relieve compression against the at least one bodypart, and a control system operably coupled to the one or more actuatorsand further operably coupled to the one or more activity sensors toreceive the one or more sensing signals therefrom. The at least oneflexible compression garment defines an interior space configured toreceive the at least one body part. The one or more activity sensors arepositioned and configured to sense at least one characteristic of atleast one muscle or at least one joint of the at least one body partthat is related to muscle activity or joint activity thereof, with theone or more activity sensors being further configured to output one ormore sensing signals indicative of the at least one characteristic. Thecontrol system includes control electrical circuitry configured todirect the one or more actuators to cause the at least one flexiblecompression garment to selectively compress against or selectivelyrelieve compression against the at least one body part responsive to theone or more sensing signals from the one or more activity sensors.

In an embodiment, a method of using a garment system is disclosed. Atleast one flexible compression garment of the at least one garmentsystem is worn on at least one body part of a subject. The garmentsystem includes one or more activity sensors configured to sense atleast one characteristic of at least one muscle or at least one joint ofthe at least body part that is related to muscle activity or jointactivity thereof and one or more actuators configured to cause the atleast one flexible compression garment to selectively compress againstor selectively relieve compression against the at least one body part.The at least one characteristic of the at least one muscle or the atleast one joint of the at least one body part is sensed with the one ormore activity sensors. Responsive to sensing the at least onecharacteristic via the one or more activity sensors, the one or moreactuators are actuated to cause the at least one flexible compressiongarment to selectively compress against or selectively relievecompression against the at least one body part.

Features from any of the disclosed embodiments may be used incombination with one another, without limitation. In addition, otherfeatures and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparentto those of ordinary skill in the art through consideration of thefollowing detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be inany way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments,and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and featureswill become apparent by reference to the drawings and the followingdetailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a garment system according to anembodiment.

FIG. 2A is an isometric cutaway view of a flexible compression garmentworn on an arm of a subject of the garment system shown in FIG. 1according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2B is an isometric cutaway view of a section of the flexiblecompression garment shown in FIG. 2A, without the flexible compressiongarment shown being worn an arm of a subject.

FIG. 2C is an isometric cutaway view of an embodiment of a flexiblecompression garment worn on a leg of a subject.

FIG. 2D is an isometric cutaway view of an embodiment of a flexiblecompression garment worn on a forearm and hand of a subject.

FIG. 3A is an isometric cutaway view of the flexible compression garmentshown in FIG. 1 according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the flexible compression garmentshown in FIG. 3A taken along line 3B-3B thereof.

FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view of the flexible compression garmentshown in FIG. 3A prior to actuation of one or more actuators or at a lowactuation level.

FIG. 3D is a cross-sectional view of the flexible compression garmentshown in FIG. 3A after actuation of one or more actuators or at arelatively higher actuation level than in FIG. 3C.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a garment systemincluding a plurality of ring-shaped actuators.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of a garmentsystem.

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of a garmentsystem including a motion sensing system.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method of selectivelycompressing or relieving compression of at least one body part of asubject responsive to sensing feedback from one or more activitysensors.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method in which a garmentsystem receives input from a motion sensing system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a garment system including atleast one muscle or at least one joint activity sensor, and at least oneactuator that operates responsive to sensing feedback from the at leastone muscle or the at least one joint activity sensor to cause a flexiblecompression garment to selectively compress against or selectivelyrelieve compression against at least one body part of a subject. Suchgarment systems can selectively provide or relieve compression againstthe at least one body part. Such selective compression or relief ofcompression against the at least one body part can improve musclefunctioning or joint functioning, or can be used for training orteaching an activity (e.g., a sport) or for rehabilitation. Embodimentsdisclosed herein also relate to methods of using such garment systems.

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings,similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless contextdictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in thedetailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting.Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made,without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matterpresented here.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a garment system 100 according to anembodiment. The garment system 100 includes a flexible compressiongarment 102 that is configured to be worn on at least one body part 104of a subject 106 during use. The flexible compression garment 102 can besubstantially tubular and configured to generally conform to the atleast one body part 104 when worn thereon.

The flexible compression garment 102 can be made from any suitablematerial. For example, the flexible compression garment 102 can be madefrom neoprene, nylon, synthetic rubber, or any other suitable syntheticor natural fabric or polymeric material.

In the illustrated embodiment, the at least one body part 104 is an armof the user, which includes a portion of the subject's 106 upper arm,forearm, and elbow joint therebetween that is received by the flexiblecompression garment 102. However, as discussed in more detail below, thegarment systems disclosed herein can be employed on many other types ofbody parts. For example, the at least one body part 104 of the subject106 can include at least a portion of a thigh and/or at least a portionof a lower leg, or at least a portion of a neck. As another example, theflexible compression garment 102 can be configured as a shirt, and theat least one body part 104 includes at least the chest of the subject106.

The garment system 100 includes one or more activity sensors 108 thatcan be mounted on, embedded in, or otherwise supported by the flexiblecompression garment 102. The one or more activity sensors 108 arepositioned and configured relative to the at least one body part 104 tosense at least one characteristic of at least one muscle or at least onejoint of the at least body part 104 that is related to muscle activityor joint activity thereof of the at least body part 104 of the subject106. For example, each or some of the one or more activity sensors 108can be positioned adjacent to or proximate to the at least one muscle orthe at least one joint of which activity is desired to be monitored.During use, the one or more activity sensors 108 output one or moresensing signals 109 indicative of the at least one characteristic. It isnoted that the at least one muscle or at least one joint of whichactivity is to be sensed can include a plurality of muscles or aplurality joints. For example, in the case where the flexiblecompression garment 102 receives at least a portion of an upper arm andat least a portion of a forearm of the subject 106, the at least onemuscle of the at least one body part 104 can include a plurality ofmuscles in each of the upper arm and lower arm of the at least one bodypart 104 and the at least one joint of the at least one body part 104can include the elbow joint.

The garment system 100 further includes one or more actuators 110. Theone or more actuators 110 are positioned relative to the flexiblecompression garment 102 and configured to cause the flexible compressiongarment 102 to selectively compress against or selectively relievecompression against the at least one body part 104 responsive to the oneor more sensing signals 109 output by the one or more activity sensors108. For example, the one or more actuators 110 can be embedded in theflexible compression garment 102, mounted interiorly inside of theflexible compression garment 102 in an interior space thereof in whichthe at least one body part 104 is received, or mounted exteriorly on theflexible compression garment 102.

The garment system 100 further includes a control system 112 operablycoupled to the one or more activity sensors 108 and the one or moreactuators 110. For example, the control system 112 can be wirelessoperably coupled to the one or more activity sensors 108 and the one ormore actuators 110 or operably coupled via a wired connection, such aselectrical wires. For example, the control system 112 can be sized andconfigured to be conveniently worn or carried by the subject 106, suchas via straps 113 shown on the subject 106 in FIG. 1.

In an embodiment, the control system 112 further includes controlelectrical circuitry 114 configured to direct the one or more actuators110 via one or more actuation signals 116 to cause the flexiblecompression garment 102 to selectively compress against or selectivelyrelieve compression against the at least one body part 104 responsive toreceiving the one or more sensing signals 109 from the one or moreactivity sensors 108. In an embodiment, the control system 112 furtherincludes a power supply 118 (e.g., a battery, microbattery, a thin filmbattery, a stretchable/flexible power supply, a fuel cell, an energyharvester, a kinetic energy harvester, a triboelectric nanogenerator, orother suitable power supply) that can power at least some of thecomponents of the garment system 100, such as the control electricalcircuitry 114, the one or more activity sensors 108, or the one or moreactuators 110.

As will be discussed in more detail below, instructions that the controlelectrical circuitry 114 of the control system 112 employs for directingand controlling the operation of the one or more activity sensors 108and the one or more actuators 110 can be pre-programmed in the controlelectrical circuitry 114, or programmed by the subject 106 or otherperson such as a medical professional like a doctor, a nurse, a physicaltherapist, a trainer, etc. For example, the programming of the controlelectrical circuitry 114 can be effected via at least one of software,firmware, programmable logical devices, or other technique forcontrolling the one or more activity sensors 108 and the one or moreactuators 110 or other components of the garment system 100 in aselected manner.

During use in some operational situations, responsive to the one or moreactivity sensors 108 sensing the at least one characteristic of the atleast one muscle or the at least one joint of the at least body part 104that is related to muscle activity or joint activity thereof, thecontrol electrical circuitry 114 directs the one or more actuators 110to selectively compress against the at least one body part 104 toprovide more support thereto or to improve muscle or joint functioning,such as increased blood flow or increased oxygenation to the at leastone muscle or at least one joint of the at least one body part 104. Forexample, responsive to the one or more activity sensors 108 sensing theat least one characteristic of the at least one muscle or the at leastone joint of the at least body part 104 that is related to muscleactivity or joint activity thereof is over a threshold level, thecontrol electrical circuitry 114 directs the one or more actuators 110to selectively compress against the at least one body part 104. Forexample, the compression applied by the one or more actuators can be agradient of compression along the at least one body part 104. In a morespecific embodiment, the control electrical circuitry 114 can direct theone or more actuators 110 to cause the flexible compression garment 102to selectively compress against at least one first portion of the atleast one muscle of the at least one body part 104 with a first level ofcompression and selectively compress against at least one second portionof the at least one muscle or a second muscle of the at least one bodypart 104 with a second level of compression that is different than thefirst level of compression. As another example, the compression appliedby the one or more actuators 110 can be one or more compression pulsesapplied to the at least one body part 104.

During use in other operational situations, responsive to the one ormore activity sensors 108 sensing the at least one characteristic of theat least one muscle or the at least one joint of the at least body part104 that is related to muscle activity or joint activity thereof, thecontrol electrical circuitry 114 directs the one or more actuators 110to selectively relieve compression against the at least one body part104, such as during a portion of an athletic activity in which the atleast one muscle or the at least one joint of subject is minimallyexerted or stressed, respectively. For example, responsive to the one ormore activity sensors 108 sensing the at least one characteristic of theat least one muscle or the at least one joint of the at least body part104 that is related to muscle activity or joint activity thereof isbelow a threshold level, the control electrical circuitry 114 directsthe one or more actuators 110 to selectively relieve compression againstthe at least one body part 104.

In an embodiment, the garment system 100 can also be operated accordingto a feedback loop. For example, the control electrical circuitry 114can direct the one or more actuators 110 to selectively compress orselectively relieve compression against the at least one body part 104 afirst selected amount, followed by selectively compress or selectivelyrelieve compression against the at least one body part 104 a secondselected amount that is different than the first amount.

Although only one flexible compression garment 102 is shown in FIG. 1,in other embodiments, a plurality of flexible compression garments 102can be worn on different body parts of the subject 106. In such anembodiment, each of the plurality of flexible compression garments 102includes its own one or more activity sensors and one or more actuatorsthat can be individually operably coupled to the control system 112 andindependently operate according to directions from the control system112.

As mentioned above, the one or more activity sensors 108 can beconfigured to sense at least one characteristic of the at least onemuscle or the at least one joint of the at least body part 104. Forexample, the at least one characteristic can be at least one physicalcharacteristic, at least one chemical characteristic (e.g., biochemicalor biological), or at least one physiological characteristic of the atleast one muscle or the at least one joint of the at least body part104. More specifically, for example, the at least one characteristic caninclude at least one of nerve activity of the at least one muscle of theat least one body part 104, temperature of the at least one muscle orthe at least one joint of the at least one body part 104, oxygenation ofthe at least one muscle or the at least one joint of the at least onebody part 104, acoustic emission from the at least one muscle or the atleast one joint of the at least one body part 104, or other suitablecharacteristic that can be correlated to muscle or joint activity. In anembodiment, the one or more activity sensors 108 are configured to onlysense the at least one characteristic of the at least one muscle of theat least one body part 104, while in other embodiments, the one or moreactivity sensors 108 are configured to only sense the at least onecharacteristic of the at least one joint of the at least one body part104.

In order to sense the at least one characteristic of the at least onemuscle or the at least one joint, various different activity sensors canbe used. For example, in any of the embodiments disclosed herein, theone or more activity sensors 108 can include at least one of anelectromyography sensor, a thermal sensor, a muscle oxygenation sensor,an acoustic sensor, a chemical sensor, a biochemical sensor, or abiosensor. The one or more activity sensors 108 can be disposed at leastpartially on an interior surface of the flexible compression garment 102defining an interior space that receives the at least one body part 104,or at least partially embedded in the flexible compression garment 102.

In an embodiment, the one or more activity sensors 108 are configured tosense onset of or a threshold level of muscle activity of the at leastone muscle of the at least one body part 104. In such an embodiment, thecontrol electrical circuitry 114 is configured to direct the one or moreactuators 110 to selectively compress against the at least one body part104 responsive to the one or more activity sensors 108 sensing the onsetof muscle activity but prior to the muscle activity occurring. Onesuitable activity sensor configured to sense nerve impulses of the atleast one muscle indicative of the onset of the muscle activity includesone or more electromyography sensors, which can be attached, adhered, orembedded within the flexible compression garment 102 or attacheddirectly to the subject 106. For example, responsive to sensing theonset of muscle activity via the one or more electromyography sensors,the control electrical circuitry 114 can direct the one or moreactuators 110 to cause the flexible compression garment 102 toselectively compress the at least one muscle or the at least one jointof the at least one body part 104. Examples of suitable electromyographysensors that can be used to practice one or more embodiments disclosedherein are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos.20060058694 and 20130041235, and in Kim, et al., Science 333, 838-843(2011), the disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein, in itsentirety, by this reference.

In an embodiment, the one or more activity sensors 108 can include oneor more passive infrared thermal sensors. For example, each passiveinfrared thermal sensor is positioned on or in the flexible compressiongarment 102 and configured to sense infrared radiation from the at leastone muscle of the at least one body part 104. An increase in theinfrared radiation can be indicative of or correlated with increasedmuscle temperature, which can be indicative of increased muscleactivity. A decrease in the infrared radiation can be indicative of orcorrelated with decreased muscle temperature, which can be indicative ofdecreased muscle activity. For example, responsive to sensing anincrease in or a threshold level of infrared radiation, the controlelectrical circuitry 114 may direct the one or more actuators 110 tocause the flexible compression garment 102 to selectively compress theat least one muscle or the at least one joint of the at least one bodypart 104. As another example, responsive to sensing a decrease in orless than a threshold level of infrared radiation, the controlelectrical circuitry 114 can direct the one or more actuators 110 tocause the flexible compression garment 102 to selectively relievecompression against the at least one muscle or the at least one joint ofthe at least one body part 104 due to muscle activity decreasing.

When the one or more activity sensors 108 are configured to sensetemperature of the at least one muscle directly or indirectly, in anembodiment, the flexible compression garment 102 can include one or morefluid channels through which coolant can flow, a fluid coolantreservoir, and a pump configured to pump the fluid coolant from thereservoir through the one or more fluid channels. Thus, in such anembodiment, the control electrical circuitry 116 can direct the pump topump fluid coolant from the fluid coolant reservoir through the one ormore fluid channels to help cool the at least one muscle.

In an embodiment, the one more activity sensors 108 can include one ormore muscle oxygenation sensors. For example, each muscle oxygenationsensor can include a near infrared sensor positioned and configured todeliver light in the near infrared spectrum to the at least one muscleof the at least one body part 104 and detect light reflected from the atleast one muscle (e.g., tissue), thereby sensing absorption of the nearinfrared light by the muscle that differs in oxygenated and deoxygenatedtissues. Examples of near infrared sensors for measuring the oxygenationof muscle tissues that can be used to practice one or more embodimentsdisclosed herein are disclosed in in Hamaoka, et al., Phil. Trans. R.Soc. A (2011) 369, 4591-4604, which is incorporated herein, in itsentirety, by reference. Changes in the absorption of near infrared lightfrom the at least one muscle can be correlated with or can be indicativeof increased muscle oxygenation. For example, changes in the absorptionof the near infrared light can be associated with increased exertion ordecreased muscle oxygenation (e.g., associated with overwork, cramping,or claudication).

In an embodiment, responsive to sensing a change in muscle oxygenation,the control electrical circuitry 114 can direct the one or moreactuators 110 to cause the flexible compression garment 102 toselectively compress or selectively relieve compression against the atleast one muscle or at least one joint of the at least one body part104. For example, responsive to sensing an increase in muscleoxygenation over a threshold level, the control electrical circuitry 114can direct the one or more actuators 110 to cause the flexiblecompression garment 102 to selectively compress the at least one muscleor at least one joint of the at least one body part 104. For example,responsive to sensing a decrease in muscle oxygenation below a thresholdlevel, the control electrical circuitry 114 can direct the one or moreactuators 110 to cause the flexible compression garment 102 toselectively relieve compression against the at least one muscle or theat least one joint of the at least one body part 104 due to muscleactivity decreasing. In other embodiments, the one or more oxygenationsensors can be used to sense a change in joint oxygenation.

In an embodiment, the one or more activity sensors 108 can includemultiple near infrared source-detector pairs that can measure spatialand regional differences in skeletal muscle oxygenation and/or localizedchanges of the at least one body part 104. For example, responsive tosensing a localized decrease in infrared radiation below a thresholdlevel indicative of significantly decreased muscle oxygenation and bloodflow associated with a muscle cramp, the control electrical circuitry114 can direct the one or more actuators 110 to cause the flexiblecompression garment 102 to selectively compress against the at least onemuscle of the at least one body part 104 to provide localized supportand increase blood pressure. For example, responsive to sensing a varieddecrease in infrared radiation indicative of a gradient of decreasedmuscle oxygenation and blood flow associated with muscle overexertion,the control electrical circuitry 114 can direct the one or moreactuators 110 to cause the flexible compression garment 102 toselectively compress against at least one first portion of the at leastone muscle of the at least one body part 104 with a first level ofcompression and selectively compress against at least one second portionof the at least one muscle or a second muscle of the at least one bodypart 104 with a second level of compression or to cause the flexiblecompression garment 102 to intermittently selectively compress against apart of the at least one muscle of the at least one body part 104 toprovide localized to increase blood flow to the muscle.

In an embodiment, the one more activity sensors 108 can include one ormore acoustic transducers configured to irradiate the at least onemuscle or the at least one joint of the at least one body part 104 withacoustic radiation and receive reflected acoustic radiation responsivethereto. The received reflected acoustic radiation can be correlatedwith or can be indicative of muscle activity or joint activity of the atleast one muscle or the at least one joint of the at least one body part104. For example, a relatively stronger/more intense reflected acousticradiation received by the one or more acoustic transducers can beindicative of relatively tenser, more active muscles, while a relativelyweaker/less intense reflected acoustic radiation received by the one ormore acoustic transducers can be indicative of relatively looser, lessactive muscles.

In an embodiment, the acoustic transducer includes an ultrasoundtransducer, and each of the acoustic radiation and the reflectedacoustic radiation includes ultrasound radiation. The received reflectedultrasound radiation can be correlated with or can be indicative of atleast one characteristic of a muscle activity or a joint activity of theat least one body part 104. For example, altered echogenicity detectedby the one or more acoustic transducers can be indicative of swelling orinflammation of the at least one muscle. For example, alteredechogenicity detected by the one or more acoustic transducers can beindicative of joint effusion of the at least one joint. For example,Doppler ultrasound sensing of the at least one muscle can detectincreased blood flow within the at least one muscle, indicatingincreased activity of the at least one muscle. For example, Dopplerultrasound sensing of a ligament or tendon may detect limited activitywithin the ligament or tendon, indicating stress to the region. In anembodiment, responsive to the one or more acoustic transducers detectinga change in at least one characteristic of the at least one muscle orthe at least one joint of the at least one body part 104, the controlelectrical circuitry 114 can direct the one or more actuators 110 tocause the flexible compression garment 102 to selectively compress orselectively relieve compression against the at least one muscle or atleast one joint. For example, responsive to sensing echogenicityindicating an increase in muscle or joint activity, the controlelectrical circuitry 114 can direct the one or more actuators 110 tocause the flexible compression garment 102 to selectively compress theat least one muscle or at least one joint of the at least one body part104. For example, responsive to sensing echogenicity indicating adecrease in muscle or joint activity, the control electrical circuitry114 can direct the one or more actuators 110 to cause the flexiblecompression garment 102 to selectively relieve compression against theat least one muscle or at least one joint of the at least one body part104 due to muscle activity decreasing. For example, responsive tosensing echogenicity indicating inflammation in the least one muscle orthe at least one joint, the control electrical circuitry 114 can directthe one or more actuators 110 to cause the flexible compression garment102 to selectively compress, and thereby support, the at least onemuscle or at least one joint of the at least one body part 104.

In an embodiment, the one more activity sensors 108 can include one ormore acoustic myography sensors positioned and configured to senseacoustic emission from the at least one muscle of the at least one bodypart 104. An example of an acoustic myography sensor for sensing muscleuse suitable for practicing one or more embodiments disclosed herein isdisclosed in Harrison, et al., Physiol Rep, 1(2): e00029; 2013, thedisclosure of which is incorporated herein, in its entirety, by thisreference. For example, responsive to sensing a high frequency by theacoustic myography sensor, indicative of increased muscle use, thecontrol electrical circuitry 114 may direct the one or more actuators110 to cause the flexible compression garment 102 to selectivelycompress the at least one muscle of the at least one body part 104.

In an embodiment, the one more activity sensors 108 can include one ormore acoustic sensors positioned and configured to sense acousticemission from the at least one joint of the at least one body part 104.For example, the one or more acoustic sensors can be positioned adjacentto or proximate to the at least one joint (e.g., an elbow as illustratedin FIG. 1, wrist, or knee) so that the one or more acoustic sensors canreceive acoustic emission from the at least one joint that can beindicative of joint problems, such as aggravation of an arthritic or anosteoarthritic condition and resultant arthralgia. For example,responsive to sensing acoustic emission or an increase in acousticemission from the at least one joint, the control electrical circuitry114 may direct the one or more actuators 110 to cause the flexiblecompression garment 102 to selectively compress the at least one jointand the at least one muscle around the at least one joint of the atleast one body part 104 to thereby alleviate arthralgia.

In an embodiment, the one more activity sensors 108 can include one ormore of at least one chemical sensor, at least one biochemical sensor,or at least one biosensor configured to detect an analyte from the atleast one muscle or the at least one joint of the at least one body part104. For example, at least one chemical sensor, at least one biochemicalsensor, or at least one biosensor can be configured to detect at leastone of an ion, a salt, glucose, a lactate, lactic acid, or aninflammatory molecule from the at least one muscle or the at least onejoint. For example, responsive to sensing an increase in lactic acid inthe at least one muscle by a biosensor indicative of muscle fatigue, thecontrol electrical circuitry 114 can direct the one or more actuators110 to cause the flexible compression garment 102 to selectivelycompress the at least one muscle of the at least one body part 104.

In an embodiment, one more optional additional types of activity sensors108′ can be incorporated into the flexible compression garment 102 andoperably coupled to the control electrical circuitry 114. For example,the one or more additional types of activity sensors can include one ormore low profile heart rate sensors that are configured to sense a heartrate of the subject 106. In an embodiment, the one or more heart ratesensors can include an electrocardiography sensor or a pulse sensor(e.g., a pulse oximetry sensor). In an embodiment, the one or more heartrate sensors can include a pulse sensor for measuring a peripheralpulse, such as in a limb. Thus, in an embodiment, the pulse sensor canbe selectively positioned on the flexible compression garment 102 to beproximate to an artery, such as a relatively large artery on the atleast one body part 104 of the subject 106. Examples of low profile,stretchable and flexible heart rate and electrocardiography sensors aredescribed in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 20060058694 and20130041235, previously incorporated by reference.

Responsive to sensing an increase in the heart rate of the subject 106indicative of increased muscle activity, the control electricalcircuitry 114 can direct the one or more actuators 110 to cause theflexible compression garment 102 to selectively compress the at leastone muscle or at least one joint of the at least one body part 104. Asanother example, responsive to sensing a decrease in the heart rate ofthe subject 106 indicative of decreased muscle activity, the controlelectrical circuitry 114 can direct the one or more actuators 110 tocause the flexible compression garment 102 to selectively relievecompression against the at least one muscle or at least one joint of theat least one body part 104 due to muscle activity decreasing.

By way of another example and having applicability to any of theactivity sensors 108 or optional additional types of activity sensors108′ disclosed herein, in an embodiment, actuating the one or moreactuators 110 to cause the flexible compression garment 102 toselectively compress against the at least one body part 104 isresponsive to the at least one characteristic sensed by one or moreactivity sensors being indicative of the at least one muscle beinginjured or being strained past a strain limit. In another embodimenthaving applicability to any of the activity sensors 108 disclosedherein, actuating the one or more actuators 110 to cause the flexiblecompression garment 102 to selectively compress against or selectivelyrelieve compression against the at least one body part 104 is responsiveto the at least one characteristic sensed by one or more activitysensors 108 being indicative of the at least one muscle being exerted.In another embodiment having applicability to any of the one or moreactivity sensors 108 disclosed herein, actuating the one or moreactuators 110 to cause the flexible compression garment 102 toselectively compress against or selectively relieve compression againstthe at least one body part 104 can be responsive to the at least onecharacteristic sensed by the one or more activity sensors 108 beingindicative of the at least one muscle being not exerted beyond athreshold. For example, the one or more activity sensors 108 canindicate that the at least one muscle is not being exerted at or near aphysiological or functional limit thereof, and the flexible compressiongarment 102 adjusts the amount of compression applied to the at leastone muscle to cause the muscle work harder, such as during strengthtraining.

The one or more actuators 110 can be selected from a number of suitabledifferent types of actuators. Additionally, as will be discussed in moredetail below, the one or more actuators 110 may be positioned in anumber of different configurations. For example, in any of theembodiments disclosed herein, the one or more actuators 110 can includeat least one of one or more electroactive polymer actuators, one or moreelectroactive metallic actuators, one or more motors, or one or morehydraulic actuators.

In an embodiment, the one or more electroactive polymer actuatorsinclude one or more actuator elements at least partially formed fromferroelectric polymers, dielectric elastomers, or electrostrictive graftelastomers. Responsive to a voltage applied by the power supply 118based on instructions from the control electrical circuitry 114, theelectroactive polymer actuators may increase or decrease in length,diameter, or other dimension depending on the polarity of the appliedvoltage to cause the flexible compression garment 102 to selectivelycompress or relieve compression of the at least one body part 104. Forexample, suitable electroactive polymers for the electroactive polymeractuators include at least one of NuSil CF19-2186 commercially availablefrom NuSil Technology of Carpinteria, Calif., silicone elastomers,acrylic elastomers (e.g., VHB 4910 acrylic elastomer commerciallyavailable from 3M Corporation of St. Paul, Minn.), polyurethanes,thermoplastic elastomers, copolymers comprising polyvinylidenedifluoride (“PVDF”), pressure-sensitive adhesives, fluoroelastomers,polymers comprising silicone and acrylic moieties, or other suitableelectroactive polymers.

In an embodiment, the one or more electroactive metallic actuatorsinclude one or more actuator elements at least partially formed from ashape memory material. For example, the shape memory material caninclude a nickel-titanium shape memory alloy, such as nitinol or othersuitable nickel-titanium alloy composition. Responsive to the powersupply 118 passing a current through the shape memory material to heatthe shape memory material based on instructions from the controlelectrical circuitry 114, the electroactive metallic actuators mayincrease or decrease in length, diameter, or other dimension dependingon the temperature to which the shape memory material is heated to causethe flexible compression garment 102 to selectively compress or relievecompression of the at least one body part 104.

Examples of such nickel-titanium shape memory alloys are currentlycommercially available from Dynalloy, Inc. and sold under the trade nameFlexinol®. Flexinol HT® has a transition temperature of about 194° F.,with an activation start temperature at about 190° F. and an activationfinish temperature at about 208° F. Such nickel-titanium alloys cangradually and controllably contract in length about 2% to about 5% oftheir length or other dimension as they are heated from the activationstart temperature to the activation finish temperature.

In an embodiment, the one or more motors include one or moremicro-electro-mechanical actuators. For example, the one or moremicro-electro-mechanical motors can include one or moremicro-piezoelectric actuators, one or more micro-electrostaticactuators, or one or more micro-electromagnetic actuators. Examples ofsuitable micro-electro-mechanical motors that can be used to practiceone or more embodiments disclosed herein are disclosed in Acoust. Sci. &Tech. 31, 2 (2010), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein, inits entirety, by this reference. As another example, one suitablemicro-piezoelectric actuator is New Scale's SQUIGGLE™ motor.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are an isometric cutaway views of an embodiment of theflexible compression garment 102 of the garment system shown in FIG. 1,which is worn on the at least one body part 104 of the subject 106,according to an embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment shown in FIGS.2A and 2B, the at least one body part 104 is an arm of the subject,which includes an upper arm 104 a, a forearm 104 b, and an elbow joint104 c connecting the upper arm 104 a and the forearm 104 b together. Theflexible compression garment 102 defines an exterior 120, and the one ormore actuators 110 are configured as a single coiled actuator extendingabout a portion of the exterior 120 of the flexible compression garment102. For example, the single coiled actuator can extendcircumferentially along the exterior 120 of the flexible compressiongarment 102 in a substantially helical path and is positioned andconfigured to increase or decrease an interior space 122 (FIG. 2B)defined by an interior surface 124 (FIG. 2B) of the flexible compressiongarment 102 responsive to actuation thereof. However, in otherembodiments, the one or more actuators 110 such as the single coiledactuator can be embedded internally within the flexible compressiongarment 102.

Referring to FIG. 2B, in the illustrated embodiment, the activitysensors 108 may be positioned on or at least partially embedded withinthe interior surface 124 of the flexible compression garment 102. Forexample, when at least some of the activity sensors 108 are configuredas acoustic sensors for sensing acoustic emission from the elbow joint104 c, such activity sensors 108 can be positioned on or in the interiorsurface 124 of the flexible compression garment 102 so that they arelocated at or near the elbow joint 104 c (or other joint, such as onethat can be affected by arthritis) and labeled as activity sensors 108″in FIGS. 2A and 2B as merely an example.

As previously discussed, the garment systems disclosed herein can beused on a number of different body parts besides an arm. For example,the at least one body part 104 can include a portion of a thigh, aportion of a lower leg, a portion of a hand, a portion of a foot, or aportion of a neck. FIG. 2C is an isometric cutaway view of an embodimentof the flexible compression garment 102 worn on a leg 126 of the subject106. The flexible compression garment 102 can be configured to extendaround a thigh 126 a, a lower leg 126 b, and a knee 126 c that connectsthe thigh 126 a and lower leg 126 b together. As another example, FIG.2D is an isometric cutaway view of an embodiment of the flexiblecompression garment 102 configured to be worn on a forearm 200, hand202, and wrist 204 of the subject 106. Of course, in other embodiments,the flexible compression garment 102 can be configured for other bodyparts, such as the upper arm and shoulder, or neck of the subject 106.In other embodiments, the flexible compression garment 102 can beconfigured for other body parts that do not include a joint, such as aportion of a limb including, but not limited to, all or part of a thigh,a calf, a forearm, or an upper arm of the subject 106.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are isometric cutaway and cross-sectional views of theflexible compression garment 102 shown in FIG. 1 according to anembodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, the flexible compressiongarment 102 includes an inner garment body 302, an outer garment body304, and a substantially tubular actuator 306 disposed between the innergarment body 302 and the outer garment body 304 in a concentricarrangement. For example, the substantially tubular actuator 306 isillustrated as being embedded within the flexible compression garment102 and held between the inner garment body 302 and the outer garmentbody 304. As merely an example, the substantially tubular actuator 306can be made from an electroactive polymer or a tube of shape memoryalloy that is responsive to an appropriate actuation stimulus from thepower supply 116 of the control system 112 so that a volume of an innerspace 310 defined by the inner garment body 302 can increase or decreaseresponsive to actuation of the substantially tubular actuator 306.

In the illustrated embodiment, the one or more activity sensors 108 aredisposed on an interior surface 308 of the inner garment body 302 thatdefines the interior space 310. However, in other embodiments, the oneor more activity sensors 108 may be at least partially embedded withinthe inner garment body 302.

During use in some operational situations, responsive to the one or moreactivity sensors 108 sensing the at least one characteristic of the atleast one muscle or the at least one joint of the at least body part 104that is related to muscle activity or joint activity thereof, thecontrol electrical circuitry 114 of the control system 112 directs thesubstantially tubular actuator 306 to selectively compress against theat least one body part 104 to provide more support thereto or to improvemuscle or joint functioning. During use in other operational situations,responsive to the one or more activity sensors 108 sensing the at leastone characteristic of the at least one muscle or the at least one jointof the at least body part 104 that is related to muscle activity orjoint activity thereof, the control electrical circuitry 114 of thecontrol system 112 directs the substantially tubular actuator 306 toselectively relieve compression against the at least one body part 104,such as during a portion of an athletic activity in which the at leastone muscle or the at least one joint of subject is minimally exerted orstressed, respectively. During use in other operational situations,responsive to the one or more activity sensors 108 sensing the at leastone characteristic of the at least one muscle or the at least one jointof the at least body part 104 that is related to muscle activity orjoint activity thereof, the control electrical circuitry 114 of thecontrol system 112 directs the substantially tubular actuator 306 toselectively compress against the at least one body part 104 or toselectively relieve compression against the at least one body part 104,such as to aid a particular action of the at least one muscle or the atleast one joint. For example, the particular action can be an athleticaction undertaken by at least one particular limb, such as an armswinging a bat or club.

FIGS. 3C and 3D are cross-sectional views of the flexible compressiongarment 102 shown in FIG. 3A prior to actuation of the actuator 306 orat a low actuation level, and after actuation of the actuator 306 or ata relatively higher actuation level than in FIG. 3C, respectively. Asshown in FIG. 3C, prior actuation of the actuator 306 or at a lowactuation level, the interior space 310 of the flexible compressiongarment 102 exhibits a relatively larger diameter D1 or other lateraldimension. As shown in FIG. 3D, after actuation of the actuator 306 orat a relatively higher actuation level than in FIG. 3C, the actuator 306selectively compresses the flexible compression garment 102 against atleast one body part of the subject such that the interior space 310 ofthe flexible compression garment 102 exhibits a relatively smallerdiameter D2 or other lateral dimension. This contraction of the flexiblecompression garment 102 can be used to apply selective amounts ofcompression forces to the at least one body part of the subject. Forexample, the actuator 306 can cause narrowing of substantially theentire flexible compression garment 102 to the smaller diameter D2.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a garment system 400including a plurality of ring-shaped actuators 402. The garment system400 includes a flexible compression garment 404 that can be made fromthe same materials as the flexible compression garment 102. The flexiblecompression garment 404 defines an interior space 403 for receiving atleast one body part of a subject, such as an arm, leg, or other bodypart.

The plurality of ring-shaped actuators 402 are longitudinally spacedfrom each other. In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality ofring-shaped actuators 402 are disposed circumferentially about anexterior of the flexible compression garment 404. However, in otherembodiments, the plurality of ring-shaped actuators 402 can be at leastpartially embedded within the flexible compression garment 404. Asmerely an example, each of the plurality of ring-shaped actuators 402can be made from a ring electroactive polymer or a ring of shape memoryalloy that is responsive to an appropriate actuation stimulus from apower supply 416 of a control system 412.

The garment system 400 further includes one or more activity sensors406, which can be configured as any of the activity sensors disclosedherein. In the illustrated embodiment, the one or more activity sensors406 are disposed within the interior space 403 of the flexiblecompression garment 402. However, in other embodiments, the one or moreactivity sensors 408 can be embedded within the flexible compressiongarment 402.

The control system 412 functions the same or similarly to the controlsystem 112 in FIG. 1. For example, the control system 412 is operablycoupled to the one or more activity sensors 408 and the plurality ofring-shaped actuators 402. Thus, during use in some operationalsituations, responsive to the one or more activity sensors 408 sensingthe at least one characteristic of the at least one muscle or the atleast one joint of the at least body part that is related to muscleactivity or joint activity thereof, the control electrical circuitry 414of the control system 412 directs the plurality of ring-shaped actuators402 to selectively compress against the at least one body part toprovide more support thereto or to improve muscle or joint functioning.Thus, the actuation of each of the plurality of ring-shaped actuators402 decreases a diameter thereof. During use in other operationalsituations, responsive to the one or more activity sensors 408 sensingthe at least one characteristic of the at least one muscle or the atleast one joint of the at least body part that is related to muscleactivity or joint activity thereof, the control electrical circuitry 414of the control system 412 directs the plurality of ring-shaped actuators402 to selectively relieve compression against the at least one bodypart, such as during a portion of an athletic activity in which the atleast one muscle or at least one joint of a subject is minimally exertedor stressed, respectively. Thus, the actuation of each of the pluralityof ring-shaped actuators 402 increases a diameter thereof.

In some embodiments, the garment systems disclosed herein can includememory and a user interface that enables the subject or another personto program the manner in which the garment system operates. For example,FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of a garmentsystem 500. The garment system 500 includes a compression garment 502including one or more activity sensors 504 and one or more actuators506, as described in any of the embodiments disclosed herein. Thegarment system 500 further includes a control system 508 operablycoupled to the one or more activity sensors 504 and the one or moreactuators 506. The control system 508 includes control electricalcircuitry 510 that controls the operation of the one or more activitysensors 504 or the one or more actuators 506, memory 512 operablycoupled to the control electrical circuitry 510 that can be programmedwith instructions via a user interface 514, and a power supply 516 thatpowers some or all of the components of the garment system 500.

The memory 512 can be programmed via the user interface 514 so thatinstructions for the operation of the garment system 500 are storedthereon. For example, the user interface 514 can include a keypad,monitor, touch screen, voice command recognition, desktop computer,laptop computer, cell phone, or combinations thereof that is operablycoupled to the control electrical circuitry 510 of the control system508. The user interface 504 can be operably coupled to the controlelectrical circuitry 510 via a wireless or wired communicationconnection. The subject that wears the garment system 500 or anotherparty (e.g., a medical professional) can program instructions into thememory 512 for the operation of the one or more activity sensors 504 andthe one or more actuators 506 via the user interface 514. Any method ofoperation for any of the garment systems disclosed herein can beprogrammed into the memory 512 with suitable instructions, as needed ordesired. In an embodiment, the memory 512 is configured to store sensingdata corresponding to the one or more sensing signals from the one ormore activity sensors 504 and actuation data corresponding to theselective compression or the selective relief of compression of theflexible compression garment 502. Such sensing data and actuation datacan be downloaded by the subject or other person (e.g., a medicalprofessional) for analysis.

During operation, the control circuitry 510 accesses and receivesinstructions from the memory 512 and directs the sensing operations ofthe one or more activity sensors 504 and actuation of the one or moreactuators 506 at least partially based on instructions stored in thememory 512. For example, responsive to the instructions stored in thememory 512, the control system 508 can direct the one or more actuators504 to cause the compression garment 502 to selectively compress againstat least one part of the subject wearing the compression garment 502responsive to the one or more activity sensors 504 sensing increased orsufficient muscle or joint activity of the subject. As another example,responsive to the instructions stored in the memory 512, the controlsystem 508 can direct the one or more actuators 504 to cause thecompression garment 502 to selectively relieve compression against theat least one part of the subject wearing the compression garment 502responsive to the one or more activity sensors 504 sensing decreased orrelatively low muscle or joint activity of the subject.

In an embodiment, the memory 512 stores sensing data corresponding tothe one or more sensing signals from the one or more activity sensors504 and stores actuation data corresponding to the selective compressionor the selective relief of compression of the flexible compressiongarment 502, which can be downloaded by any of the user interfaces 514disclosed herein (e.g., a cell phone, desktop computer, or laptopcomputer) or other computing device. For example, the user interface 514can download the sensing data and the actuation data such as frequencyand duration of compression and decompression of the at least one leastbody part via the flexible compression garment 502.

The garment systems disclosed herein can also be used in conjunctionwith a motion sensing system for teaching or correcting a subject'smovement during different activities, such as walking, running, jumping,or specific sporting activities. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram ofan embodiment of a garment system 600 including a motion sensing system602 and a compression garment 604 configured to be worn by a subject606. For example, the motion sensing system 602 can be a MicrosoftKinect™ system or a machine vision sensing system that is configured totrack physical movement of the subject 606, such as motion of one ormore limbs of the subject. For example, such physical movement can besporting activities, such as a baseball bat swing, golf swing, tennisracquet swing, or other type of activity, or general movement such aswalking or arm motion for physical therapy. The compression garment 604includes one or more activity sensors 608 and one or more actuators 610shown schematically that can configured as any of the activity sensorsand actuators disclosed herein.

The garment system 600 further includes a control system 612 havingcontrol electrical circuitry 614 configured to direct the one or moreactuators 610 via one or more actuation signals 616 to cause theflexible compression garment 604 to selectively compress against orselectively relieve compression against at least one body part of thesubject 606 responsive to receiving one or more sensing signals from theone or more activity sensors 608 and one or more motion signals 609 fromthe motion sensing system 602. The control system 612 further includesmemory 620 operably coupled to the control electrical circuitry 614 thatcan be programmed with instructions via a user interface 622, and apower supply 618 (e.g., a battery or other suitable power supply) thatcan power at least some of the components of the garment system 600,such as the control electrical circuitry 614, the one or more activitysensors 608, or the one or more actuators 610.

The memory 620 can be programmed via the user interface 622 so thatinstructions for the operation of the garment system 600 are storedthereon. For example, the user interface 622 can include a keypad,monitor, touch screen, voice command recognition, or combinationsthereof that is operably coupled to the control electrical circuitry 614of the control system 612. The subject that wears the garment system 600or another party (e.g., a medical or athletic professional) can programinstructions for the operation of the one or more activity sensors 608or the one or more actuators 610 via the user interface 622.

In operation, responsive to receiving one or more sensing signals fromthe one or more activity sensors 608 and one or more motion signals 609from the motion sensing system 602, the control electrical circuitry 614of the control system 612 directs the one or more actuators 610 to causethe flexible compression garment 604 to selectively compress against orselectively relieve compression against the at least one body part ofthe subject 606. The selective compression or relief of compression isprovided to direct the subject's 606 movement to correspond to a storedmovement or movement pattern in the memory 620 of the control system612. For example, the stored movement or movement pattern can be a modelgolf swing or other athletic movement as input via the user interface622 by a golf professional or other athletic professional. The selectivecompression or relief of compression against the at least one body part(e.g., the subject's 606 arm) is provided to direct the subject's 606movement to correspond to and substantially follow the movement ormovement pattern stored in the memory 620. Thus, the garment system 600can serve assist training the subject 606 in specific movements forsporting activities, or general movement such as walking for physicaltherapy. In another embodiment, responsive to receiving the input fromthe motion sensing system 602 via the one or more motion sensing signals609, the memory 620 can be programmed with at least one operationalprogram according to which the actuating the one or more actuators 610occurs.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method 700 of selectivelycompressing or relieving compression of at least one body part of asubject responsive to sensing feedback from one or more activitysensors. Instructions for any of the methods disclosed herein can bestored in memory of a garment system such as the memory 512 of thegarment system 500.

The method 700 includes an act 702 of wearing at least one flexiblecompression garment of a garment system on at least one body part of asubject. For example, the at least one body part on which the at leastflexible compression garment is worn includes at least a portion of anarm, at least a portion of a forearm, at least a portion of a wrist, atleast a portion of a thigh, at least a portion of a lower leg, at leasta portion of a neck, or at least a portion of a chest. The garmentsystem includes one or more activity sensors configured to sense atleast one characteristic of at least one muscle or at least one joint ofthe at least body part that is related to muscle activity or jointactivity thereof and one or more actuators configured to cause the atleast one flexible compression garment to selectively compress againstor selectively relieve compression against the at least one body part asdisclosed in any of the garment systems disclosed herein, such as thegarment system 100 shown in FIG. 1.

The method 700 further includes an act 704 of, with the one or moreactivity sensors, sensing the at least one characteristic of at leastone muscle or at least one joint of the at least one body part. Aspreviously discussed, the at least one characteristic can include atleast one of nerve activity of the at least one muscle of the at leastone body part, temperature of the at least one muscle or the at leastone joint of the at least one body part, oxygenation of the at least onemuscle of the at least one body part, acoustic emission from the atleast one joint of the at least one body part, or other suitablecharacteristic that can be correlated to muscle or joint activity.Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, the one more activity sensorscan sense only the muscle activity (e.g., one or more muscle activitysensors) or sense only joint activity (e.g., one or more joint activitysensors).

The method 700 also includes an act 706 of, responsive to sensing the atleast one characteristic via the one or more activity sensors, actuatingthe one or more actuators to cause the at least one flexible compressiongarment to selectively compress against or selectively relievecompression against the at least one body part. For example, in anembodiment, actuating the one or more actuators to cause the at leastone flexible compression garment to selectively compress against the atleast one body part is responsive to the at least one characteristicsensed by one or more activity sensors being over or below a thresholdlevel, such as indicative of the at least one muscle being injured,exerted, or strained past a strain limit. For example, such a thresholdlevel can be stored in memory of a garment system such as the memory 512of the garment system 500.

Referring to FIG. 8, an embodiment of a method 800 includes an act 802of receiving input from a motion sensing system as the subject moves.The method 800 further includes, responsive to receiving the input, anact 804 of programming at least one operational program into a controlsystem of the at least one garment according to which actuation of theone or more actuators occurs.

Thus, in an embodiment, actuating the one or more actuators to cause theat least one flexible compression garment to selectively compressagainst or selectively relieve compression against the at least one bodypart occurs according to a pre-programmed at least one operationalprogram. For example, the at least one operational program can beprogrammed into memory of a control system that controls the one or moreactuators, such as the garment system 500 shown in FIG. 5. In anembodiment, the at least one operational program is related to skillstraining for at least one selected activity, such as strength training,golf, baseball, basketball, handball, tennis, football, billiards,darts, or Frisbee, or physical therapy.

The reader will recognize that the state of the art has progressed tothe point where there is little distinction left between hardware andsoftware implementations of aspects of systems; the use of hardware orsoftware is generally (but not always, in that in certain contexts thechoice between hardware and software can become significant) a designchoice representing cost vs. efficiency tradeoffs. The reader willappreciate that there are various vehicles by which processes and/orsystems and/or other technologies described herein can be effected(e.g., hardware, software, and/or firmware), and that the preferredvehicle will vary with the context in which the processes and/or systemsand/or other technologies are deployed. For example, if an implementerdetermines that speed and accuracy are paramount, the implementer mayopt for a mainly hardware and/or firmware vehicle; alternatively, ifflexibility is paramount, the implementer may opt for a mainly softwareimplementation; or, yet again alternatively, the implementer may opt forsome combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware. Hence, thereare several possible vehicles by which the processes and/or devicesand/or other technologies described herein may be effected, none ofwhich is inherently superior to the other in that any vehicle to beutilized is a choice dependent upon the context in which the vehiclewill be deployed and the specific concerns (e.g., speed, flexibility, orpredictability) of the implementer, any of which may vary. The readerwill recognize that optical aspects of implementations will typicallyemploy optically-oriented hardware, software, and or firmware.

The foregoing detailed description has set forth various embodiments ofthe devices and/or processes via the use of block diagrams, flowcharts,and/or examples. Insofar as such block diagrams, flowcharts, and/orexamples contain one or more functions and/or operations, it will beunderstood by those within the art that each function and/or operationwithin such block diagrams, flowcharts, or examples can be implemented,individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software,firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. In one embodiment,several portions of the subject matter described herein may beimplemented via Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), FieldProgrammable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), orother integrated formats. However, those skilled in the art willrecognize that some aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein, inwhole or in part, can be equivalently implemented in integratedcircuits, as one or more computer programs running on one or morecomputers (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more computersystems), as one or more programs running on one or more processors(e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more microprocessors),as firmware, or as virtually any combination thereof, and that designingthe circuitry and/or writing the code for the software and or firmwarewould be well within the skill of one of skill in the art in light ofthis disclosure. In addition, the reader will appreciate that themechanisms of the subject matter described herein are capable of beingdistributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that anillustrative embodiment of the subject matter described herein appliesregardless of the particular type of signal bearing medium used toactually carry out the distribution. Examples of a signal bearing mediuminclude, but are not limited to, the following: a recordable type mediumsuch as a floppy disk, a hard disk drive, a Compact Disc (CD), a DigitalVideo Disk (DVD), a digital tape, a computer memory, etc.; and atransmission type medium such as a digital and/or an analogcommunication medium (e.g., a fiber optic cable, a waveguide, a wiredcommunications link, a wireless communication link, etc.).

In a general sense, the various embodiments described herein can beimplemented, individually and/or collectively, by various types ofelectro-mechanical systems having a wide range of electrical componentssuch as hardware, software, firmware, or virtually any combinationthereof; and a wide range of components that may impart mechanical forceor motion such as rigid bodies, spring or torsional bodies, hydraulics,and electro-magnetically actuated devices, or virtually any combinationthereof. Consequently, as used herein “electro-mechanical system”includes, but is not limited to, electrical circuitry operably coupledwith a transducer (e.g., an actuator, a motor, a piezoelectric crystal,etc.), electrical circuitry having at least one discrete electricalcircuit, electrical circuitry having at least one integrated circuit,electrical circuitry having at least one application specific integratedcircuit, electrical circuitry forming a general purpose computing deviceconfigured by a computer program (e.g., a general purpose computerconfigured by a computer program which at least partially carries outprocesses and/or devices described herein, or a microprocessorconfigured by a computer program which at least partially carries outprocesses and/or devices described herein), electrical circuitry forminga memory device (e.g., forms of random access memory), electricalcircuitry forming a communications device (e.g., a modem, communicationsswitch, or optical-electrical equipment), and any non-electrical analogthereto, such as optical or other analogs. Those skilled in the art willalso appreciate that examples of electro-mechanical systems include butare not limited to a variety of consumer electronics systems, as well asother systems such as motorized transport systems, factory automationsystems, security systems, and communication/computing systems. Thoseskilled in the art will recognize that electro-mechanical as used hereinis not necessarily limited to a system that has both electrical andmechanical actuation except as context may dictate otherwise.

In a general sense, the various aspects described herein which can beimplemented, individually and/or collectively, by a wide range ofhardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof can be viewedas being composed of various types of “electrical circuitry.”Consequently, as used herein “electrical circuitry” includes, but is notlimited to, electrical circuitry having at least one discrete electricalcircuit, electrical circuitry having at least one integrated circuit,electrical circuitry having at least one application specific integratedcircuit, electrical circuitry forming a general purpose computing deviceconfigured by a computer program (e.g., a general purpose computerconfigured by a computer program which at least partially carries outprocesses and/or devices described herein, or a microprocessorconfigured by a computer program which at least partially carries outprocesses and/or devices described herein), electrical circuitry forminga memory device (e.g., forms of random access memory), and/or electricalcircuitry forming a communications device (e.g., a modem, communicationsswitch, or optical-electrical equipment). The subject matter describedherein may be implemented in an analog or digital fashion or somecombination thereof.

The herein described components (e.g., steps), devices, and objects andthe discussion accompanying them are used as examples for the sake ofconceptual clarity. Consequently, as used herein, the specific exemplarsset forth and the accompanying discussion are intended to berepresentative of their more general classes. In general, use of anyspecific exemplar herein is also intended to be representative of itsclass, and the non-inclusion of such specific components (e.g., steps),devices, and objects herein should not be taken as indicating thatlimitation is desired.

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singularterms herein, the reader can translate from the plural to the singularand/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the contextand/or application. The various singular/plural permutations are notexpressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates differentcomponents contained within, or connected with, different othercomponents. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures aremerely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures can beimplemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense,any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality iseffectively “associated” such that the desired functionality isachieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve aparticular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each othersuch that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective ofarchitectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components soassociated can also be viewed as being “operably connected,” or“operably coupled,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality,and any two components capable of being so associated can also be viewedas being “operably couplable,” to each other to achieve the desiredfunctionality. Specific examples of operably couplable include but arenot limited to physically mateable and/or physically interactingcomponents and/or wirelessly interactable and/or wirelessly interactingcomponents and/or logically interacting and/or logically interactablecomponents.

In some instances, one or more components may be referred to herein as“configured to.” The reader will recognize that “configured to” cangenerally encompass active-state components and/or inactive-statecomponents and/or standby-state components, unless context requiresotherwise.

While particular aspects of the present subject matter described hereinhave been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled inthe art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modificationsmay be made without departing from the subject matter described hereinand its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are toencompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as arewithin the true spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein.Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is defined by theappended claims. In general, terms used herein, and especially in theappended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generallyintended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should beinterpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” shouldbe interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should beinterpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will befurther understood by those within the art that if a specific number ofan introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will beexplicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitationno such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, thefollowing appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases“at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations.However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply thatthe introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or“an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claimrecitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even whenthe same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “atleast one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or“an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one ormore”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used tointroduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number ofan introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, such recitationshould typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number(e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without othermodifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or morerecitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a conventionanalogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in generalsuch a construction is intended in the sense the convention (e.g., “asystem having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not belimited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and Btogether, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and Ctogether, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “atleast one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a constructionis intended in the sense the convention (e.g., “a system having at leastone of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that haveA alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and Ctogether, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). Virtually any disjunctiveword and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether inthe description, claims, or drawings, should be understood tocontemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either ofthe terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will beunderstood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”

With respect to the appended claims, the recited operations therein maygenerally be performed in any order. Examples of such alternateorderings may include overlapping, interleaved, interrupted, reordered,incremental, preparatory, supplemental, simultaneous, reverse, or othervariant orderings, unless context dictates otherwise. With respect tocontext, even terms like “responsive to,” “related to,” or otherpast-tense adjectives are generally not intended to exclude suchvariants, unless context dictates otherwise.

While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, thevarious aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes ofillustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scopeand spirit being indicated by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A garment system, comprising: at least oneflexible compression garment adapted to be worn on at least one bodypart of a subject, the at least one flexible compression garmentdefining an interior space adapted to receive the at least one bodypart; one or more sensors positioned and configured to sense at leastone of a blood flow or a temperature of the at least one body part, theone or more sensors are further configured to output one or more sensingsignals indicative of the blood flow or temperature; one or moreactuators positioned relative to the at least one flexible compressiongarment and configured to cause the at least one flexible compressiongarment to selectively compress against or selectively relievecompression against the at least one body part; and a control systemoperably coupled to the one or more actuators and further operablycoupled to the one or more sensors to receive the one or more sensingsignals therefrom, the control system including control electricalcircuitry configured to direct the one or more actuators to cause the atleast one flexible compression garment to selectively compress againstor selectively relieve compression against the at least one body partresponsive to the one or more sensing signals from the one or moresensors.
 2. The garment system of claim 1, wherein the one or moresensors include at least one of an electromyography sensor, a thermalsensor, an oxygenation sensor, a chemical sensor, or an acoustic sensor.3. The garment system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensorsinclude one or more near infrared radiation sensors positioned andconfigured to detect a level of blood flow in the at least one bodypart.
 4. The garment system of claim 3, wherein the one or more nearinfrared radiation sensors include one or more near infraredsource-detector pairs.
 5. The garment system of claim 3, wherein thecontrol electrical circuitry is configured to direct the one or moreactuators to selectively compress or selectively relieve compressionagainst the at least one body part responsive to the level of blood flowbeing above or below a threshold level.
 6. The garment system of claim3, wherein the control electrical circuitry is configured to direct theone or more actuators to selectively compress or selectively relievecompression against the at least one body part intermittently,responsive to the level of blood flow being above or below a thresholdlevel.
 7. The garment system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensorsinclude a thermal sensor.
 8. The garment system of claim 7, wherein thethermal sensor includes a passive infrared sensor positioned andconfigured to sense infrared radiation from the at least one body partindicative of a temperature of the at least one body part.
 9. Thegarment system of claim 7, wherein the thermal sensor is positioned andconfigured to sense a temperature of the at least one body part, andwherein the control electrical circuitry is configured to direct the oneor more actuators to selectively compress or selectively relievecompression against the at least one body part responsive to thetemperature being above or below a threshold level.
 10. The garmentsystem of claim 7, wherein the thermal sensor is positioned andconfigured to sense a temperature of the at least one body part, andwherein the control electrical circuitry is configured to direct the oneor more actuators to selectively compress or selectively relievecompression against the at least one body part intermittently,responsive to the temperature being above or below a threshold level.11. The garment system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensorsinclude one or more oxygenation sensors.
 12. The garment system of claim11, wherein the one or more oxygenation sensors include one or more nearinfrared sensors.
 13. The garment system of claim 12, wherein the one ormore near infrared sensors are positioned and configured to senseinfrared radiation from the at least one body part, and wherein thecontrol electrical circuitry is configured to direct the one or moreactuators to selectively compress or selectively relieve compressionresponsive to sensing infrared radiation indicating an oxygenation levelin the at least one body part above or below a threshold oxygenationlevel.
 14. The garment system of claim 12, wherein the one or more nearinfrared sensors are positioned and configured to sense infraredradiation from the at least one body part, and wherein the controlelectrical circuitry is configured to direct the one or more actuatorsto selectively compress or selectively relieve compressionintermittently, responsive to sensing infrared radiation indicating anoxygenation level in the at least one body part above or below athreshold oxygenation level.
 15. The garment system of claim 1, whereinthe control electrical circuitry of the control system is configured todirect the one or more actuators to selectively apply compression orrelieve compression against the at least one body part responsive to theone or more sensing signals from the one or more sensors indicating thatthe at least one body part is below a threshold level of activity. 16.The garment system of claim 1, wherein the one or more actuators includeat least one of one or more electroactive polymer actuators, one or moreelectroactive metallic actuators, one or more motors, or one or morehydraulic actuators.
 17. The garment system of claim 1, wherein the oneor more actuators extend circumferentially along the at least oneflexible compression garment, and are positioned and configured toincrease or decrease the interior space of the at least one flexiblecompression garment responsive to actuation thereof.
 18. The garmentsystem of claim 1, wherein the one or more actuators include a pluralityof actuators that each extend circumferentially about the at least oneflexible compression garment.
 19. The garment system of claim 1, whereinthe one or more actuators includes a substantially tubular actuator. 20.The garment system of claim 1, wherein the control system includes: apower supply operably coupled to the one or more actuators and thecontrol electrical circuitry; and wherein the control electricalcircuitry of the control system is configured to direct the power supplyto alter an actuation stimulus to the one or more actuators, whichcauses actuation thereof, responsive to the one or more sensing signalsfrom the one or more sensors.
 21. The garment system of claim 1, whereinthe control electrical circuitry of the control system is configured todirect the one or more actuators to apply pulses of compression to theat least one body part or a gradient of compression along the at leastone body part responsive to the one or more sensing signals from the oneor more sensors.
 22. The garment system of claim 1, wherein the controlsystem includes a user interface through which the control system can beprogrammed with at least one operational program that controls one ormore of an amount of selective compression applied by the one or moreactuators, intermittent compression or release of compression againstthe at least one body part, or a gradient of compression against the atleast one body part.
 23. The garment system of claim 1, furtherincluding: one or more additional sensors configured to sense a heartrate of the subject; and wherein the control electrical circuitry of thecontrol system is configured to direct the one or more actuators tocause the at least one flexible compression garment to selectivelycompress against or selectively relieve compression against the at leastone body part responsive to the one or more additional sensors sensingthe heart rate.
 24. A garment system, comprising: at least one flexiblecompression garment adapted to be worn on at least one body part of asubject, the at least one flexible compression garment defining aninterior space adapted to receive the at least one body part; one ormore sensors positioned and configured to sense at least onecharacteristic of the at least body part, the one or more sensorsfurther configured to output one or more sensing signals indicative ofthe at least one characteristic; one or more actuators positionedrelative to the at least one flexible compression garment and configuredto cause the at least one flexible compression garment to selectivelycompress against or selectively relieve compression against the at leastone body part; and a control system operably coupled to the one or moreactuators and further operably coupled to the one or more sensors toreceive the one or more sensing signals therefrom, the control systemincluding control electrical circuitry configured to direct the one ormore actuators to cause the at least one flexible compression garment toselectively compress against or selectively relieve compression againstthe at least one body part responsive to the one or more sensing signalsindicating that an activity of the at least one body part is below athreshold level of activity based on the at least one characteristic.25. The garment system of claim 24, wherein one or more sensors areconfigured to detect a level of activity of the at least one body part,and the control electrical circuitry is configured to direct the one ormore actuators to selectively apply compression or relieve compressionagainst the at least one body part responsive to the one or more sensingsignals from the one or more sensors indicating that the at least onebody part is below a threshold level of activity.
 26. The garment systemof claim 24, wherein one or more sensors are configured to detect alevel of activity of the at least one body part, and the controlelectrical circuitry is configured to direct the one or more actuatorsto selectively apply compression or relieve compression against the atleast one body part intermittently, responsive to the one or moresensing signals from the one or more sensors indicating that the atleast one body part is below a threshold level of activity.
 27. Agarment system, comprising: at least one flexible compression garmentadapted to be worn on at least one body part of a subject, the at leastone flexible compression garment defining an interior space adapted toreceive the at least one body part; one or more sensors positioned andconfigured to sense at least one characteristic of the at least bodypart, the one or more sensors further configured to output one or moresensing signals indicative of the at least one characteristic; one ormore actuators positioned relative to the at least one flexiblecompression garment and configured to cause the at least one flexiblecompression garment to selectively compress against or selectivelyrelieve compression against the at least one body part; and a controlsystem operably coupled to the one or more actuators and furtheroperably coupled to the one or more sensors to receive the one or moresensing signals therefrom, the control system programmed to direct theone or more actuators to cause the at least one flexible compressiongarment to intermittently selectively compress against responsive to theone or more sensing signals.
 28. The garment system of claim 27, whereinthe one or more sensors include a thermal sensor.
 29. The garment systemof claim 28, wherein the thermal sensor includes a passive infraredsensor positioned and configured to sense infrared radiation from the atleast one body part indicative of a temperature of the at least one bodypart.
 30. The garment system of claim 26, wherein the thermal sensor ispositioned and configured to sense a temperature of the at least onebody part, and wherein the control electrical circuitry is configured todirect the one or more actuators to selectively compress against the atleast one body part intermittently, responsive to the temperature beingabove or below a threshold level.
 31. The garment system of claim 27,wherein the one or more sensors include one or more oxygenation sensors.32. The garment system of claim 31, wherein the one or more oxygenationsensors include one or more near infrared sensors.
 33. The garmentsystem of claim 12, wherein the one or more near infrared sensors arepositioned and configured to sense infrared radiation from the at leastone body part, and wherein the control electrical circuitry isconfigured to direct the one or more actuators to selectively compressintermittently, responsive to sensing infrared radiation indicating anoxygenation level in the at least one body part above or below athreshold oxygenation level.
 34. A system, comprising: at least oneflexible compression garment adapted to be worn on at least one bodypart of a subject, the at least one flexible compression garmentdefining an interior space adapted to receive the at least one bodypart; one or more sensors positioned and configured to sense at leastone characteristic of the at least body part, the one or more sensorsfurther configured to output one or more sensing signals indicative ofthe at least one characteristic; a motion sensing system configured todetect movement of the subject; one or more actuators positionedrelative to the at least one flexible compression garment and configuredto cause the at least one flexible compression garment to selectivelycompress against or selectively relieve compression against the at leastone body part; and a control system operably coupled to the one or moreactuators and further operably coupled to the one or more sensors toreceive the one or more sensing signals therefrom, the control systemincluding control electrical circuitry configured to direct the one ormore actuators to cause the at least one flexible compression garment toselectively compress against or selectively relieve compression againstthe at least one body part responsive to the one or more sensing signalsindicating that an activity.
 35. The system of claim 34, wherein themotion sensing system is remote from the subject.
 36. The system ofclaim 34, wherein the motion sensing system is configured to sensemotion of one or more limbs of the subject.
 37. The system of claim 34,wherein motion sensing system is configured to detect a level ofactivity of the at least one body part, and the control electricalcircuitry is configured to direct the one or more actuators toselectively apply compression or relieve compression against the atleast one body part responsive to the one or more sensing signals fromthe one or more sensors.
 38. The system of claim 34, wherein the controlsystem includes memory storing at least one movement pattern, whereinthe motion sensing system is configured to detect a level of activity ofthe at least one body part, and wherein the control electrical circuitryis configured to direct the one or more actuators to selectively applycompression or relieve compression against the at least one body part todirect movement of the at least one body part that corresponds to the atleast one movement pattern stored in the memory.